Prelude
by Guber
Summary: What if Lecter had told Clarice to "Fly back home, little Starling,"


Prelude By; Guber  
  
A responce to a HannibalFic CHALLENGE from jedi_pug  
  
Takes place during SOTL, departs from canon.  
  
I don't own them yada yada yada, you know the drill.  
  
Clarice looked at Dr. Lecter as he uttered the words. She felt the stung of defeat as she began to walk back towards the end of the cells. Wondering what Crawford would say, when she came back empty-handed.  
  
Even though he had said he didn't expect Dr. Lecter to be cooperative, Clarice had hoped, this would have been her chance to get one foot inside the door of behavioral science. Clarice hear the sound of her heals as she walked past migg's cell. She didn't care to know what he was doing.  
  
Her thoughts returned to Dr. Lecter, she was sure he knew something, and that his hatred of Crawford was preventing Chatrine Martin from being saved. Clarice felt the despair of not being able to do anything about it.  
  
She reached the end of the hall, and she saw Barney. He knew already that she had come for nothing; it was a waste of time. Clarice got the feeling that perhaps Barney knew more about Dr. Lecter that anyone else, and he was still alive, which said a lot.  
  
Clarice thanked Barney and left the building with a sense of failing, she had let down the bureau.  
  
She reached her car, and slammed the door with all her frustration, while the tears she didn't want to fall, started blurring her vision. And the memory of her father, came to mind. She shook her head to clear her mind and started to drive back to D.C.  
  
Some time later:  
  
Clarice was at home in the duplex she shared with Ardelia, when she heard over the news that Dr. Lecter had agreed to deliver the information on the whereabouts of Senator Martin's daughter. Clarice walked into the living room where Dr. Lecter was posted all over the screen, as she saw him, she felt something was wrong.  
  
Somehow Clarice knew that Dr. Lecter had something up his sleeve, she could see it on his face. And there was something else, something she couldn't quit put her finger on. And in that moment, Clarice decided to go see Dr. Lecter; what ever it was that he had planed she needed to stop.  
  
Clarice drove like a maniac, and sneaked in to the building without any problem, her one week FBI badge still worked.  
  
The elevator ride felt like eternity, and Clarice suddenly didn't know why she was on route, what was she going to say to a known madman. She hadn't called Crawford; he would say it was her imaginary fantasy pulling one on her. But she knew better, for some reason she had seen his intent. And she couldn't let him get away.  
  
Clarice got off the elevator. His cage was in the middle of the room, white light everywhere, and classical music in the air. The guards where to her left. And Dr. Lecter sat in his cage with a book.  
  
Did he know she was here? She gave the guards her weapon, and started to walk over to the cage.  
  
"good evening Dr. Lecter." Clarice stopped a couple of meters from the cage, making sure that Dr. Lecter could see her. He ignored her, which made Clarice furious. "It's rather rude of you, Dr. Lecter not to acknowledge my presence." The words where out before Clarice could stop her self. And she briefly wondered if she had made him mad.  
  
Dr. Lecter lowered his book and looked at Clarice, she kept eye contact with him, and it surprised him, it didn't seem as though she was afraid of him, and it pleased him immensely.  
  
"Good evening Clarice" he made sure to punctuate every letter in her name, and his metallic voice sent shivers down Clarice's spine, and she couldn't decide if that was good or bad.  
  
"To what do I owe the pleasure special agent Starling?" he pronounced it with such mockery that he saw the fire in her eyes. Clarice wasted no time, hiding her reason to be here, and the doubts back in her mind, she buried there. "I know your up to something Dr. Lecter" Clarice saw the humor in that sentence. And she thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Is that so, and just what might that be Clarice?"  
  
The shiver was back, and this time, she tried to hide and deny the effect he had on her. "You're trying to escape." Dr. Lecter knew he hadn't succeeded in hiding his surprise, by the way Clarice looked at him triumphal.  
  
His voice was dead cold when he answered. "And how did you figure that out. Don't tell me, that old Jacky boy has finally woken up." "No, Dr. Lecter, I found out." Clarice felt like she was drowning in those eyes of his, she could feel her pulse. And she admitted she liked this dangerous game. The rest of her words were gone as was her voice.  
  
Dr. Lecter noticed the effect he had on her, and he liked it. How long had it been since he last had seen a woman. And it would seem that his little Starling was a worthy adversary.  
  
Just as he was about to say more, a group of men stepped of the elevator.  
  
"That's her, she has no business here, get her out" Clarice kept her eyes on Dr. Lecter. She could see nothing in his eyes but contempt for those who were interrupting upon this nice little téta té.  
  
Clarice was lost for the world, even as she felt hands around her arms and dragging her away was all she could think of, was getting one last glimpse of Dr. Lecter and find a way to stop him from what he was about to do.  
  
Later again:  
  
Clarice had tried to explain why she was there, and what he was planning, but she already knew that none was going to believe her. And now she was sitting in her duplex, jack d. and a glass in one hand and a coke in the other, while the news told of the Dr. Lecter's escape.  
  
There where no news on Buffalo bill. She wondered if they would ever catch him.  
  
She felt the disappointment that none would believe her, and she felt relieved on some level that Dr. Lecter was out in the world. He was not meant to be trapped. She had tried to deny it for hours, but it was to no avail. Her last conscious thought was what would he do now.  
  
In the still of night a figure stepped out the shadows, and walked into the duplex. He had waited till she was sound asleep, she was after all a soon to be an agent. And he was not willing to take any chance on his new freedom. Though he thought they could have some fun.  
  
His nostrils caught her smell as well as the smell of alcohol. He walked up to the couch and found his little playmate passed out. He removed the glass from her hand, and gentle let his finger trace her jaw line. He wonder briefly if he should kiss her, he lingered in the air above her, and took a deep breathe.  
  
He sat in a chair across from her and looked at her sleeping form, knowing it would be awhile before he would see her again.  
  
With the light coming he thought it was time to say goodbye. He left a letter for her, telling her the whereabouts of buffalo bill. and ofcause that he looked forward to their next little game.  
  
He disappeared into the shadows once again. Leaving no other trace that he had been there then the letter. 


End file.
